I Found You
by xforevrgonex
Summary: They grew up in the same small town without noticing each other. Until one day, they run into each other in a hidden coffee shop. Slow and shy is their preferred pace, but they change just as quickly as the seasons do. ConnorxOC. Coffee Shop AU. (M rated for future chapters)
1. Prologue

Nothing ever happened in the simple town of his. At least, not in the last few years he had been gone. After completing his own travels around the world, he returned to a lonely studio apartment above a local coffee shop; just far enough from town to be peaceful and hidden from tourists. He smiled softly when entering the untouched space, welcoming the faint smell of coffee beans and paint. His bags were set down by the closed industrial door as he occupied himself with opening up all the windows; letting out the heady fumes accumulated by the paint cans that littered nearly every nook and cranny in the apartment. Sunlight streamed in, happy to cover the entire space by warmth and light. Unframed pictures and empty mason jars littered the space and collected a film of dust on their surfaces. He missed his home, and the familiar quiet of his flat let him know he was welcome to fill it with noise.

A soft beep came from the corner of the room, and a red number flashed on the voicemail machine. Ninety three messages from the past two years, it was more than he anticipated but began listening to them anyways. The first few messages were of his mother, rambling on about how she missed him and so on. Others were telemarketers selling timeshares and unnecessary necessities. The rest of them came from the same person who he had left his home in hopes of forgetting; to try and find a way to console the pain that stuffed itself in between the cracks of his ribs. In a sense it did. A hurt was dulled to a soft pang in his chest every time he heard a Chase Coy song, or when someone mentioned the way lavender smelled in the summer. In his mind, he was completely fixed.

Before he left, he was green to the world and all that went on in it. In the time span of two years he had grown. He stood taller with his shoulders set square and his back straighter. He had forgotten the pain that accumulated in between the cracks in his ribs and solidified like concrete. He learned to live with the hurt of the past and felt he had moved past it. But he had relapsed and found himself dangerously close to the edge of a cliff he was ready to fall off once again.

A soft knock at his door brought him out of his thoughts and had him heading towards the door. He looked through the peep hole and stood back to take a deep breath. A second knock came and caused his strong heart to beat loudly in his ears. His fingertips warmed the door knob as he stood perfectly still and debated opening the door. He didn't need to see anyone now, right? He could pretend he wasn't home. A third knock came and a heavy sigh left his lips as he opened the door reluctantly.

"Hey, Connor."

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(A/N) Hey guys! This is the start of my second story on here, and I'm excited to start posting. I'll try to update as frequently as possible. Don't worry about 'Misplaced Fire', the next chapter is nearly done. Until next time!


	2. Chapter 1: Coffee and Steam

Chapter 1: February, 7, 2011

6:30 AM. The sun had barely passed the peaks of the treetops in the windows. A small alarm clock went off and a large hand lazily hit the snooze button. On instinct, Connor had ignored the need to get up and dosed off to sleep again. This was the part of the day many people hated, and this man was no exception. He slowly rolled to his side and was met by another warm body. Just like him, his large dog, Bruno, simply chose to hate mornings as well.

Unable to fall back into a state of sleep, Connor stared at the morning light rising on his ceiling. Being awake and not having his body moving in someway started to bother him. A slightly wet nose nuzzled into his side urging him to get up and a small laugh came from Connor, "I'll move if you get up." A small whine came from the large mastiff besides him. With a groggy chuckle, Connor swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood to stretch towards the high ceiling. A short yawn came from him as he walked towards the kitchen counter, and picked up the kettle already filled halfway with water from the night before. Three clicks of the stove's gas, and Connor placed the steel pot on the range to boil. Feeling accomplished from completing the first task of the day, he laid down on the large couch underneath a row of large windows. Not long after him, the dark brown mastiff padded softly on the floor towards his owner and laid on top of him sleepily.

The kettle atop the stove whistled and both inhabitants of this oddly large studio apartment slept lightly, enjoying the warmth radiating from their small heater. After a couple of minutes, Connor crawled out from under his beast of a dog and slowly poured the boiling water into his mug a top the counter. A small jar filled with mint tea was set to the side, and Connor reached for a small pouch and dropped it into the ceramic mug. The refreshing smell slowly pulled Connor completely awake, when a moment later the phone across the room began to ring. The noise bothered neither him, nor Bruno, until the home phone began ringing after being sent to voice mail; the ringing effectively disrupting the easy mood of their early morning. Connor usually never got to the phone in time, but this morning he reached it with reluctance. An irritated grumble came from him momentarily as he put the phone down on the receiver angrily. He reached for his mug from the kitchen counter and called over his shoulder, "Bruno, remind me to disconnect that thing." The large dog barked in recognition and resumed his sleeping.

As the rest of Connor's morning panned out, the coffee shop below his studio began catering to its morning rush. The shower cut off slowly, and the steam from the bathroom exited to slowly fill the rest of the studio. It mixed with the intoxicating smell of coffee grounds filtering through the air vents. He always believed smelling coffee was enough to get you caffeinated, so there was no need for him to consume any of it. Though the owner of the shop below rented the space above his establishment to Connor, he rarely saw him entering the small shop. When he did visit the coffee shop down stairs, he usually opted for a slice of banana bread and a mug of black tea.

"Bruno, is it time for a walk?" The clock on the wall read '8:16' and Bruno's ears perked up quickly. The chilly winter air made its way through the cracks of the window sill and brushed against Connor's skin leaving goosebumps. Connor bundled up quickly and slipped on his snow boots. Unlike his owner, Bruno came bundled up in a soft thick coat of chocolate brown fur. The intelligent dog picked through his basket and found his sturdy leash. A soft whining noise came from the fluffy animal as his snout pushed against Connor's calloused palm. With a gently scratch between the ears, Connor connected the leash to a thick leather collar that hung a little loose around Bruno's neck. After a moment he checked his pockets for the house keys and his wallet.

"Bruno, let's go?" His soft voice reached the dog and a bark came in reply. Once the door was open, a breeze of cold air blew past Connor and chilled the tips of his ears. The metal stairs that hugged the side of the building led down to the side of the busy coffee shop. One man Stood by the door way stamping out a cigarette butt and looked over his shoulder to nod casually at the passing Connor. The two strangers have acknowledged each other since the apartment had been occupied and have stayed that way, strangers. Though Connor has been living there for a while, he has seen many of the regulars and never found the need to befriend any of them. He was content on just observing the people that came and went when he left his home, being social was not a strong point of his.

"Good morning, Connor," the owner of the shop, Altair, walked up beside him and buried his hands into the pockets of his pants. Connor smiled softly and nodded his head, "Are you not cold? Where is your jacket?"

"Oh, I just went to take out the trash. There's no need for that bulky thing," a warm smile came from chattering teeth and Connor couldn't hold back a chuckle. Bruno's tail wagged against his owner's tail rapidly and Connor lowered his hand to scratch behind the dog's ear, "Alright, we're going. It was good seeing you again, Altair. Have a good morning."

"You too, stop by for some tea later on if you aren't busy."

"I will," Connor waved him goodbye and resumed his walk with Bruno. (1,016)

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Edit: Sorry for typos and rushed update from last time. But I reviewed it and fixed all the mistakes that I made. I'm pretty sure that I fixed everything, but comment and tell me if I missed anything. Also thank you for the first two followers of my story, GamerPhotos and kpartridge93. I'm estimating that the next update is coming either next week or two. I apologize again for the rushed update, but I feel like that I needed to be updating my stories on here. I know and have felt the struggle of an author that hasn't updated stories for a while. So if you have been waiting for updates on 'Misplaced Fire' I'm working on the next chapter as well as this one. Thank you again for your patience and until next time, my dear readers!

xforevrgonex


	3. Chapter 2: Clutz

Chapter 2: February 14, 2011

The Coffee Shop was busier than any other Monday night, and sappy alternative love songs played on a hushed volume effectively creating a warm atmosphere. A gentle chime came from the bells that hung by the doorway. No one had bothered to look towards Connor's massive frame as he entered the cafe. His fingers played with the binding of his leather bound sketch book and tapped the spine gently. The current baristas, Leonardo and Rebecca, worked behind the counter with a smile and at a fast pace. Most of the people that crowded the leather couches and cozy sitting areas were familiar faces to Connor. The rest were stray couples who happened upon this place by coincidence.

"Connor," a deep voice caught his attention as he turned towards the window booth near the back of the building. Altair and his friends sat comfortably around the large wood table. Many of them he recognized from the college campus he attended: Malik, Ezio, and Desmond. Though the school had a rather large student population, he managed to bump into these three men without fail. Altair had been the one to introduce him formally to all of them when he had stopped by the week before. Connor smiled softly and set his sketch book on the table as he sat down in front of them. Ezio clapped him on the shoulder lightly with a cheeky smile, "I would have though you were out on the town, romancing which ever lucky girl met your fancy."

"If I'd known you at all, I would have thought you'd be chasing anything with a skirt on." A slight smirk played on Connor's lips as Ezio and the others laughed heartily. The evening's atmosphere was light and easy compared to the long day of classes he had. Who knew being an art student would be more than exhausting?

Connor was quickly brought out of his thoughts as the other men at the table began to include him in their conversation. Before he had arrived, they had planned on taking a quick trip to the ski resort a couple hours away from their small town. Connor had never gone on a trip with his family, let alone friends. So the experience was more than welcomed by the young man; even if it was with people he barely knew. After a couple moments, he quickly excused himself and made his way to the bathroom. the young man relieved himself quickly and gave himself a once over in the bathroom mirror. He still had a little smudge of charcoal on his right cheek but ignored it any way. It added "character" to his large stature and always started conversation with others around him.

A small line had began to form around near the bathrooms by the time he had finished, and finding a way to maintain his personal space was easier said than done. He shuffled uncomfortably through the line of people until his foot got caught by someone passing by. Unable to keep his balance, he fell forward into the wall opposite of him. Thankfully his instincts kicked in and his hands braced him before he crashed into the wall.

"Holy shit, Laney, are you ok?" A concerned voice shouted besides Connor causing him to open his eyes to find himself looking into wide, hazel eyes. He quickly stood back and regained his composure. The girl across from him was still in shock from almost being crushed by the young man and had blocked out her blonde friend temporarily. Connor rubbed the back of his neck and looked at her sheepishly, "Are you alright? I didn't mean to startle you like that. I'm not always so clumsy."

"No, I'm…I'm fine. Thanks for not crushing mw," she chuckled nervously and a small smile formed on her lips. Connor smiled in response and held his hand in front of him, "Good. I'm glad that you're alright. My name is, Connor." "Laney, it's nice to meet you," she gripped his hand gently and brushed a strained of curly hair behind her ear. The blonde spoke up and crossed her arms over her chest, "And my name is, Alli. I'm glad that we're all acquainted now. But we really have to use the bathroom and the line is moving. So. Let's. Go. Nice getting to know you Connor, but nature calls!" The blonde tugged Laney behind her and disappeared around the corner of the tight corridor. The space she had occupied a moment before had been filled with a new stranger, and Connor quickly walked back to the table. To his dismay, Lucy had found her way to the table with their order and gossip, "Yeah, he was just staring at her like he didn't know what to do! I was about to-"

"About to what?" Connor looked down at her with a raised brow and slid into the booth with ease. Lucy cracked a grin and laid her hand flat on the table, "I saw you pulling moves on curly sue over there near the bathroom." Hooting and hollering came from his companions as Lucy retold the experience from her perspective; effectively mortifying Connor into a flustered mess. Ezio smirked and nudged Connor's bicep with his elbow, "Ay, I knew this ragazzo had it in him! So, what did she look like?" "She was…nice. Curly brown hair, and really nice eyes. Her name is, Laney. I feel like I've seen her before. Maybe around school?" "You never know, it's a big campus," replied Desmond, "at least you could use Ezio as a search engine when you need information about girls from our area."

"You make fun of me now, but who is the one getting girls left and right?"

"Not you, obviously. You're stuck here with these four guys on one of the most romantic nights of the year. Enjoy your little sausage fest on Valentine's Day, Bello." Lucy waited for his comeback but found Ezio couldn't find a thing to say back. The waitress stood triumphant and flattened out her skirt before taking her leave. She walked away satisfied with tray in hand and began running orders to the customers scattered about the cafe. Unfortunately for Ezio, the table rang with laughter at his expense. Nearly everyone had forgotten about Connor's small incident until Malik spoke up from across him, "You should talk to her again. See if she really does go to school with us."

"You think so?" Connor looked around for Laney and spotted her putting on a red scarf before walking out the door with Alli. Disappointment tugged at his thoughts slightly as he watched her go and turned back to Malik, "It's all right. She's leaving anyways."

"If you say so, but if it were me I would have gone and talked to her. That's what Altair did with me and we're pretty happy together." Altair smiled softly and kissed Malik's temple tenderly before continuing his conversation with Desmond and Ezio. Connor furrowed his brows and leaned forward on his elbows, "I wouldn't know what to say to her."

"That's alright, you're supposed to be nervous."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how would you know if you liked this girl if you weren't nervous around her?" Connor nodded and leaned back in thought. He and Laney had only met for a minute, and he was already obsessing over her? Maybe Malik had a point. Feeling this tied up was a good enough reason to start talking to her, right? He stood up quickly and made his way to the door with the group cheering him on in the background. He opened the front door quickly and bumped into someone making their way inside.

"Ahhh!" _Ooof_. Connor looked down and saw a head of curly brown hair lying at his feet. He quickly picked up the person and held them upright by their shoulders. A slight groan came from the person before he noticed the red scarf tied around their neck. Connor cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brows, "Laney?" A mitten clad hand moved her bangs away from her face before looking up at him. Her flustered cheeks puffed out from holding in air before she exhaled slowly, "I'm alright! Don't worry!"

"I'm really sorry, again. We really should stop meeting like this," a nervous chuckle came from Connor as he pushed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Laney smiled softly and shook her head, "I know what you mean. Although I've enjoyed, literally, bumping into you recently. I agree that meeting you the normal way would be just fine." A sigh of relief escaped Connor before he laughed along with her. They stood there for a moment, just smiling at each other, until they heard a horn honk from behind Laney.

"Just give her your number! She was going to go in there to get it anyways!" Alli's head popped through the window of a black jeep wrangler as she shouted at them with a smug look. Laney groaned and shook her head before covering her face with her hands. She looked up at him sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders, "She's just abrasive and she hates this day. Don't mind her."

"No, it's fine. I actually came out here to get your number too."

"Oh!" Laney's lips formed a small 'o' before she shook her head and rummaged through her bag for her cell phone.

"It's in your left hand pocket, Laney! You know, where you always put it!" Alli shouted from the car, "quit stalling so we can go home!" A mortified expression crossed Laney's face as she tried covering her face with her bangs. A soft chuckle came from Connor before he leaned against the door frame, "Alli should meet my friend and get together. Their sarcasm would probably go away if they had companionship." A slight giggle shook Laney's curls momentarily before she produced her phone from her pocket. She smiled and nodded in agreement, "Yeah, i guess she's been lonely lately. You can text me his number." Laney waited expectantly and punched the numbers in as he spoke at an even pace until she was finished. The brunette sent him a quick text before saving his number in her contacts and storing the phone in her pocket. A smirk formed on Connor's lips when he noticed the heart eyes emoji next to his name before turning the screen off. Laney grinned and put her hand forward, "It was nice bumping into you again. I'll talk to you later?"

"Yes, that would be great." He grasped her hand gently and shook it before parting ways. Laney hurried down the steps and looked over her shoulder once towards Connor before stepping into the car. Alli stuck her hand out the window and wave goodbye, "Goodnight, lover boy!" It would have embarrassed the poor man if he hadn't heard Laney groan in humiliation. A corner of Connor's lips lifted as he returned the gesture while watching the car speed out of the parking lot.

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From: Laney: 11:36, 2/14/11

I know it's late but maybe we can get coffee sometime this week?Let me know! Night:)

To: Laney: 11:59, 2/14/11

Sure. Maybe we can meet at The Coffee House again. With less tripping and head trauma. Night

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The night sky had finally turned clear after being cloudy all day. With the present change, Connor thought of taking Bruno for a walk before he finally crashed, but decided the beast looked tired. Instead, he opted for a warm cup of tea and a few minutes with his charcoals and sketchbook. After a moment, he yawned and checked his phone for the time. 3:36 am. Perfect, he thought, it isn't even four in the morning yet. He placed his materials on the floor lazily and leaned back into his pillow. Today was a good day. Maybe tomorrow wont so bad either.

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A/N: Hey guys, I realize it's been a loooooong time since I've updated. But my life has been too hectic lately. If you guys are antsy for a little extra in between updates, I have a writing tumblr that I post some stuff on; panda-writes-here. It's mainly just writing and a little rambling about my other stories. I also post how I envision what's going on and what things look like. Anyways, I'll try to update as soon as possible!

xforevrgonex


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